Kyle Seager

Seager hit a career-high 25 homers, drove in nearly 100 runs, made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove last season. The Mariners promptly extended him for seven years and $100 million. Seager's big...

Seager continues to be one of the few positives on the roster and the lone Mariners youngster without major questions dogging him. He proved that 2012 was no fluke by posting remarkably similar stats last year across the board. What's more, he improved his walk rate while his strikeout and contact rates remained strong. Seager played 106 consecutive games at one point, which might have tired him down the stretch, as he slumped in the last six weeks of the season with a .181 average and a .558 OPS. He still finished among the better AL third basemen –- first in steals, fourth in doubles, fifth in homers, fifth in OPS, fifth in ISO. The only place he took a step back was in RBI, with a near 20-run drop thanks to the impotent bats surrounding him in the lineup. After two solid years, it wouldn't surprise if Seager took another step this season.

2013

Seager's emergence as a legitimate everyday player was one of the few positives among Seattle's youngsters last year. Seager played a dependable third base and became the first Mariner since 2009 to hit 20 homers in a season. He quietly ranked second among AL third basemen in doubles, third in RBI and stolen bases, fourth in hits and home runs and fifth in walks. He also ranked third in baseball with 44 two-out RBI. His OPS was 200 points higher on the road last season, but moving the fences in at Safeco Field should help. The only flaw in his game seems to be his ability to handle left-handing pitching, against which he struggled (.237/.281/.377) for the second year in row. He has time to figure that out, though, because third base is a wasteland for the organization. Barring an offseason move, Seager is entrenched at the position.

2012

Seager flew up the charts last season, and entering spring training he's the closest thing the Mariners have to a third baseman. After hitting .312 at Double-A Jackson and then .387 at Triple-A Tacoma (with a 1.029 OPS), Seager took over the hot corner from a struggling Chone Figgins. Seager hit only .258 but showed good plate discipline, as he had in the minors, and his bat heated up down the stretch too. Unless the Mariners bring in a free agent, it appears the third-base job is Seager's to lose. Figgins is unlikely to get the job back (if he even stays with the team) and the only other competition is the inferior Alex Liddi. Seager had trouble with left-handed pitching last year, though – his OPS vs. southpaws was .570 with no extra-base hits. Acquiring a platoon partner might be in store for Seager.